Published by The History Press
Charleston, SC 29403
www.historypress.net
Copyright 2011 by Alejandro M. de Quesada
All rights reserved
Front cover: Martello tower. Courtesy of the National Archives.
All images are by the author unless otherwise noted.
First published 2011
Second printing 2011
e-book edition 2013
Manufactured in the United States
ISBN 978.1.62584.185.8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
De Quesada, A. M.
A history of Georgia forts : Georgias lonely outposts / Alejandro M. de Quesada.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
print edition ISBN 978-1-60949-192-5
1. Fortification--Georgia--History. 2. Historic sites--Georgia--History. 3. Georgia--History, Military. 4. Georgia--History, Local. I. Title.
F287.D3 2011
355.009758--dc22
2011009985
Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the following individuals, institutions and societies that have contributed material and/or assistance in the making of this work possible: John Guss; Pete and Phil Payette; Daniel Brown, park manager, Fort McAllister State Historic Park; Brenda J. Carlan, executive director, Currahee Military Museum (Camp Toccoa);Justin Martin, tourism, welcome center and tourism (Eagle Tavern); Tally Kirkland, ranger (ret.), Fort Pulaski National Monument; Martin Liebschner, site manager, Old Fort Jackson; Fort Frederica National Monument; Fort Yargo State Park (Georgia); Fort King George Historic Site (Georgia); Fort Morris Historic Site (Georgia); Fort Hawkins Commission; Old Fort Jackson and the Coastal Heritage Society; United States Army Signal Corps Museum (Fort Gordon); National Museum of the Infantry (Fort Benning); Sixth Cavalry Museum (Fort Oglethorpe); Friends of the Fort (Fort Hollingsworth); Georgia Historical Society; Mighty Eight Air Force Historical Society; Richmond Hill Historical Society; Tybee Island Historical Society (Fort Screven); New Ebenezer Village Museum; Georgia Salzburger Society; Georgia State Archives; Library of Congress; and National Archives.
INTRODUCTION
The military history of Georgia has always been dear to me. As a child, I frequently visited my grandparents for the summer when they lived in Milledgeville, Savannah and Thomasville. My grandfather was a physician for the Georgia state hospital system, and many of these locations were located on or near former military sites. I remembered visiting these sites and hearing stories from my grandfathers coworkers who were military veterans of World War II and Korea. On weekends, my grandfather used to take me to Fort Pulaski, where I spent hours exploring every nook and cranny.
Then I spent nearly five and a half years in Georgia attending Emory University. During those years, I frequently drove on day trips to the interior of the state to discover lost battle and fort sites. At the same time, I became involved in Civil War living history and participated in most of the 125th anniversary reenactments as well as the many Civil War themed filmsincluding Glorythat were being produced in Georgia. I loved volunteering my time as a historical interpreter at Chickamauga National Battlefield Park and Fort Pulaski National Monument. To this day, I still drive through Georgia from my home base of Florida and am still discovering new aspects of Georgias military past.
While it is nearly impossible to list and describe every military fortification or site in detail because of the constraints laid out in the format of this book, this work will focus on those that readily can be visited or those whose historical importance is of such that they must be covered in detail. Essentially every fort that has existed in Georgias past can be a book unto itself, and the better-known fortssuch as Forts Frederica, McAllister and Pulaskihave volumes written about them. However, this work will be concentrating on the lesser-known forts and military facilities that also contributed considerably toward Georgias military history.
The individual fortifications and military facilities are placed in chapters based upon the era of when these sites were created and not necessarily the period of an event that they were part of. So locations such as Fort Pulaski would be listed in the antebellum era because of the year of its construction despite the fact that its historical importance was during the Civil War. Therefore, A History of Georgia Forts: Georgias Lonely Outposts must be regarded as a primer for any wishing to learn and expand their knowledge on the history of fortifications, defenses and other military facilities in Georgia. A bibliography has been added for those wishing to learn more about the forts mentioned in this work. I hope that the information compiled in this book will be of use and that it will stir those to go off to explore this states wonderful heritageregardless of whether its hidden or out in the open. For it is the hunt for knowledge of what was, what is or what will be that makes it worthwhile.
Chapter 1
COLONIAL GEORGIA, 15661783
EARLY SPANISH FORTIFICATIONS
The earliest European presence in what is now Georgia was by the Spanish, beginning with San Miguel de Gualdape (152627), where approximately 600 colonists, including a few women and some black slaves, and 1 Indian guide, as well as horses and supplies, for three months sailed from Santo Domingo (Hispaniola) in two ships under the leadership of Lucas Vsquez de Aylln. The Spaniards landed in Winyah Bay, South Carolina (Cabo de San Nicols), repaired their ships and then headed southwest for forty to forty-five Spanish leagues to find a suitable settlement site near or on St. Catherines Island. Only 150 people made it through the winter and several Indian attacks and returned to Santo Domingo the following spring. The St. Catherines Island Presidio (156697, 160580) was the earliest European fort that protected the Spanish Franciscan Mission Santa Catalina de Guale (1595), which became the provincial headquarters of Guale (present-day north coastal Georgia). It was destroyed by Indians during the 1597 Guale Rebellion and not rebuilt until 1605. The Spanish fort was later attacked and destroyed by South Carolina forces in 1680. The Spaniards abandoned the presidio for Sapelo Island. The site of the Mission Santa Catalina de Guale is on Wamassee Creek, which has been excavated. Near South Newport was the Tolomato Presidio (159597, 160584), which defended the Spanish Franciscan mission-presidio Nuestra Seora de Guadalupe de Tolomato. It was probably originally located on the South Newport River near Harris Neck. It burned in 1597 and was rebuilt in 1605, possibly at or near the Tupiqui-Espogache site. The last Spanish fortification built in Georgia was the Sapelo Island Presidio (160584) in the Sapelo Island State Wildlife Management Area. This Spanish presidio protected the Franciscan Mission de San Jos de Zapala on the north end of the island along Blackbeard Creek. The presidio was destroyed by South Carolina forces. The Spanish garrison abandoned the Sapelo Island Presidio for Amelia Island, Florida.
